William Kitt's two grandchildren attend the school in the 5200 block of Loch Raven Boulevard in northeast Baltimore. The 5- and 7-year-old students returned home from school Friday with a letter from their principal -- but it wasn't them who were in trouble.

The letter explained that another student in pre-kidrgarten brought a gun to school.

"I could be talking to a funeral home instead of talking to you right now," Kitt told WBAL-TV 11 News reporter Kai Reed. "It's sad. It's sad, but people have to wake up and realize these things happen. It happens every day somewhere."

According to school officials, the student's teacher found the gun and notified district officials. The letter indicated that police arrested an adult in connection with the investigation. Witnesses told 11 News they saw a woman escorted from the school in handcuffs.

"If you check the news, it happens a lot. It's the kind of country will live in now, you know what I mean? You have to be responsible for your kid or your grandkid," said Josie Blake, a grandmother of a child who attends the school.

The letter urged parents to "monitor what their kids bring to school" and to check "the contents of their book bags."

Kitt said he never thought he would support the use of metal detectors at an elementary school, but he does now.

"You need them because this happens too often," Kitt said. "I don't just think of the gun going in the school. I think of the idea the gun could have went off. The kid could have thought it was a toy and shot somebody, and it's tragic."

District officials declined to immediately release any details about the student or the arrested adult.Refresh wbaltv.com and our smartphone apps often, and sign up for free email news alerts for the latest updates.